قُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَمَا يُبْدِئُ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ
Say, "The truth has come, and falsehood can neither begin [anything] nor repeat [it]."
Introduction
This is āyah 49 of Sūrat Saba (Sheba), the 58th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 22. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Meccan
- Order revealed
- 58 of 114
- Surah
- Saba (34)
Say: “The truth has come, and falsehood does not originate, nor make return.” On the day God's Messenger put his blessed foot inside the Kaabah-when ʿUmar KhaṬṬāb had arrived at the exaltedness of submission, and the faithful were happy at his submission, though he had placed many idols inside the Kaabah-the Messenger had a stick in his hand with which he was striking the chests of the idols, saying, “The truth has come and falsehood has vanished away [17:81], The truth has come, and falsehood does not originate, nor make return.” ʿUmar was say-ing, “O idols, this is AḤmad. This is God's messenger in truth, so bear witness. If what he says is true, then prostrate yourselves!” The idols all at once fell down in prostration. O chevalier! Which day will it be when the messenger of realization along with the ʿUmar of assent enters the Kaabah of your breast at the instruction of success-giving? It will topple the idols of caprice and avarice, and they will call out, “The truth has come, and falsehood does not originate, nor make return.” “So the sorcerers were cast down in prostration [7:120]. What do you say? Did they come and prostrate themselves? Or did We bring them into prostration?” A serving boy was walking with his master. The boy went into a mosque, said his prayers, and remained for a long time in the pleasure of whispered prayer. The master said, “Come out, boy!” He said, “He won't let me.” He said, “Who won't let you come out?” He said, “The same one who won't let you come in.” It is no wonder that a hearing, speaking, knowing person should prostrate himself. The won- der is that ʿUmar said, “O unhearing, unspeaking idols, if MuḤammad's religion is the truth, pros- trate yourselves,” and at once all of them prostrated themselves. O pure Lord! Two improper, ugly things were placed before ʿUmar: enmity toward the Mes- senger and coveting this world. Then there appeared such a beautiful state from their midst, for ʿUmar was adorned with the ornament of submission. In the same way, two improper things were placed before Pharaoh's sorcerers: one enmity toward Moses and the other Pharaoh's rulership. Then from the midst an exalted secret appeared, so the sorcerers were cast down in prostration.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
Community resources
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